


The Greyhound Way

by Mildredo



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-03
Updated: 2014-09-03
Packaged: 2018-02-16 00:23:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2249010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mildredo/pseuds/Mildredo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soulmates can occasionally read each others' minds. That's how Kurt discovers that his soulmate is one of his fellow bus travellers. And his soulmate just happens to be checking out a girl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Greyhound Way

An hour into the journey, Kurt had concluded that he must have had a spell of temporary insanity when he chose to take the bus all the way back to Ohio for the holidays. He could’ve flown, or taken the train, or had a band of eagles clutch him in their talons and carry him home. Anything would’ve been a better option than an entire day on a cramped, dirty bus, at the mercy of traffic congestion and idiots who decided that swerving out of control and crashing dramatically was worth the risk to check a text message.

He was cranky, admittedly. He had to lug his heavy bag on the subway to the Port Authority in the middle of the damn night to catch his godforsaken 11pm bus and he’d been running around all day long because he’d been putting off packing for a week. He couldn’t sleep now because his seat was uncomfortable, the ride was bumpy, and he was certain that the second he closed his eyes, someone would try to steal his backpack. He’d been landed with an aisle seat, so he didn’t even get to stare at the fascinating highway scenery, but at least it meant that he could twist around to stretch his legs out a little. The man in the window seat beside him had been snoring and drooling since the engine started, and Kurt didn’t particularly want to look at him.

The bus was an old one with no amenities, obviously put on the service at the last minute because nothing else was available. The air conditioning seemed to be permanently stuck on the coldest setting despite it being December and freezing outside. The seats were small with no legroom, causing Kurt’s calves to cramp up if he sat the correct way for too long. There was no wifi and not a single power outlet, so Kurt had to keep playing with his phone to a minimum to save battery and data. It was painfully silent, just the hum and splutter of the ancient bus choking its way along the long, empty roads. Everyone else was asleep. There wasn’t even a conversation for Kurt to eavesdrop. It was a dull, endless journey through the night, spent watching the smallest hours of the morning grow slowly larger.

Kurt got off for his transfer in Pittsburgh and hoped  _hard_  that the next leg of his journey would be more comfortable. For seven hours, he’d been wide awake in near darkness, surrounded by people snoring and snuffling with no source of entertainment. He felt like he could’ve walked to Ohio in less time. It was six thirty and still mostly dark outside, but the bus station was already full of cars and buses and people. He stretched up tall as soon as he was outside of the tiny bus, feeling all his muscles unclench, then quickly grabbed his bag from the hold and made a silent promise to himself that he would never,  _ever_  take the bus from New York to Ohio again.

He ran inside to use the bathroom, being careful not to touch any of the probably filthy surfaces, and then looked around for somewhere to get breakfast. He ordered a breakfast sub and a coffee at the single greasy food outlet, trying not to let his dance teacher’s words about fat and calories echo too loudly – he was tired and hungry and the greasy sandwich was exactly what he needed. Kurt made his way to his stop clutching his paper-wrapped breakfast like a baton, ready to whack anyone who came near him or it. He got there early, sat down on an empty bench, and ate, the bacon and cheese combination somehow taking the edge off the awful journey. Seven hours in, ten more to go. Almost halfway through, and that thought wasn’t as comforting as it could’ve been.

There were far too many people he recognized from the first bus gathering nearby, including the window hogger he’d been sitting beside all night. A few new faces appeared too. They all seemed younger than the average age on the first bus, some of them labeled in university apparel but none of them looked like they were together. Some made awkward small talk, most just stood in silence, staring at the electronic board. A collection of strangers ready to be transported across the country in a speeding box on wheels. Kurt drank his coffee in big gulps and tried to feel less cynical.

The second bus was better – a little more spacious, cleaner looking, and the guy from before sat at the front. Kurt always preferred the middle of the bus, so he snagged a window seat there quickly and put his bag beside him, quietly hoping that there would be more seats than passengers and no one would need to sit there. He was starting to feel claustrophobic and a little space for the next four hours seemed like a glorious dream. He was exhausted from lack of sleep and drained from being trapped in a bus, hurtling along the highway. He’d barely said a word to anyone for two days and the loneliness was starting to eat at him, but he didn’t want the company of random strangers. He’d be home soon enough and the promise of a home-cooked meal and a hug from his dad was pulling him through. Kurt let his eyes drift closed to make himself even less appealing to interrupt, clutching his bag strap hard in case someone tried to take it. He felt the bus start to move and opened his eyes victoriously, spreading out across his double seat, plugging his phone into an outlet and connecting it to the on board wifi. He sat with his back against the window and his legs straight out across the seats, pulling his feet up whenever someone needed to pass by to use the bathroom. He stuffed his headphones into his ears, played Angry Birds, and settled in to let the time fly past.

Somewhere between the West Virginia stop and the first of many Ohio stops, Kurt’s headphones broke. He sighed loudly as he tugged them out of his phone, screwed them up, and threw them into his backpack. He swung his feet around so he could look out of the window properly, searching for a signpost in the new morning light. There was no indication of where they were, just miles of the same grey asphalt. They could’ve been anywhere in America. They could’ve been anywhere in the world.

Kurt stared for a while, oddly hypnotized by the blurred grey ground speeding past. It was coming up nine, and the sky was losing the last hints of sunrise. The fields they sped past were barren and wet, with patches of ice and snow slowly melting in the sun. It looked as though the winter had been harsh on the crops.

_Oh wow, she’s hot!_

The words appeared in Kurt’s mind, startling him. The voice was unfamiliar – not his at all. Not that he’d been looking at anyone anyway. He turned around from the window and saw that one of Pittsburgh students was making her way along the aisle to the bathroom. She had been sitting near the front; Kurt remembered because she looked a little like his high school friend, Quinn, and he’d done a double take when she’d first arrived at the bus stop. Someone on the bus thought that she was hot. From the heads craning behind her,  _many_ people on the bus thought she was hot.

Someone on the bus was his soulmate. And, apparently, his soulmate liked girls.

*

_If you can hear me, give me a sign_.

Kurt knew it was unlikely to work, but it was worth a shot. He thought hard, closing his eyes and making his inner voice shout, and then looked around him. Nothing. He wasn’t surprised, but still felt a twinge of disappointment. The girl walked back to her seat and Kurt paid attention to all the guys on the bus, gauging their reactions. They all looked up as she went past.

One of them was his soulmate. Kurt really hoped it wasn’t his window-stealing enemy.

Kurt was suddenly terrified that his soulmate would get off the bus before he did and their paths would never cross again. He was clearly heading to Ohio, but what if that was just another connection on his journey? Nobody got off at the Zanesville stop, but a four-hour layover in Columbus was next and he could easily disappear.

It was usually a brief, chance encounter when the mindreading kicked in. Passing in a crowded mall, leaving a busy movie theatre, navigating Grand Central Station. No way to narrow the potential soulmate base down until one day, if you were lucky, you met again and could ask if they happened to be in a particular Starbucks on a particular day six years ago. As the shock of it settled, Kurt realized he was uncommonly lucky. There were maybe fifteen other guys on the bus, and they were there together for at least another hour. He had a chance.

Kurt spent the last hour of the journey into Columbus thinking anything he could, hoping that something would get through.

_I’m going to Lima_.

_Meet me by the baggage hold_.

  _Yellow sweater_.

_Coffee?_

_Adjust your air conditioning… now._

Kurt kept craning his neck, looking around the bus and trying not to be too inconspicuous. He couldn’t see any reaction from anyone. Most of them seemed to be asleep. Kurt grumbled to himself and gave up, slumping back in his seat and watching as Columbus appeared around him. End of the line. He quickly gathered his belongings and joined the narrow line of people shuffling single file off the bus. His thighs ached from sitting for so long and Kurt felt suddenly grateful for the long layover and his insistence on traveling all the way to Lima. At least he could walk around a little; if his dad had driven out to meet him in Columbus, it would’ve meant two more hours of sitting. Plus, he’d have less time to mourn his lost chance at a lifetime of happiness.

*

_Red sweater._

Kurt had already grabbed his bag from underneath the bus and made his way inside when he heard it. It took him a moment to even register that the voice was in his head and not coming from somewhere in the crowd of people all clamoring to get to their next destination.

Beside a drinks vending machine, holding two cups of machine coffee and looking around nervously, stood a dark-haired boy in a red Carnegie Mellon sweatshirt. Kurt recognized him from the Pittsburgh stop, but he hadn’t seen where he’d been sitting on the bus. He must’ve been hidden from his limited view. Kurt took a deep breath and walked over to him.

“Hi,” Kurt said, feeling the short word catch in his throat and come out as a squeak. The boy – the soulmate – broke into a huge smile, his eyes wide and shining, and Kurt thought he fell in love right then.

“Yellow sweater,” he said.

“Red sweater.”

“I’m Blaine,” he said, offering a steaming plastic cup. “I thought I heard something about coffee so I…”

“I’m Kurt, and you heard right.” Kurt took the cup and sipped. Machine coffee was always terrible but this stuff was particularly awful, and he tried not to make a face.

“It’s bad, I know,” Blaine laughed. “Do you have some time or..?”

“Four hours,” Kurt said and suddenly the layover didn’t feel like such a chore. “I’m on the 2:40 to Lima.”

“There’s a great coffee shop across the street. It’s much better than this.” He put his plastic cup down on top of the machine, crinkling his nose in disgust, and Kurt followed suit. “Less crowded, too, and they have food.”

“The magic words,” Kurt laughed. “I’m starving.”

Blaine waved a hand in the direction they had to go and led the way, Kurt following nervously by his side. He was tired and smelled like bus and had a red stain on his chest where ketchup had dripped out of his sandwich in Pittsburgh, but Blaine still looked at him like he was awestruck and Kurt felt breathless.

*

It was blissfully warm inside, with cozy chairs and quiet, gentle music playing. Kurt briefly contemplated the array of cakes and pastries, but, desperate for something healthy to eat, decided to purchase a fruit parfait. He couldn’t resist the promise of the chocolate raspberry coffee, though, and he smiled when Blaine ordered the same. He’d spent the chilly walk from the bus station sharing facts about himself, anything that came to mind, and it felt like he was talking to keep his jaw from freezing in place.

“So,” Kurt said as they sat down in two armchairs, separated by a small round table. “I haven’t shut up about me. Your turn.”

“I’m a junior as well,” Blaine started. He seemed to be thinking hard, like he was trying to remember everything that Kurt had told him. “I’m getting my BFA in drama. I’m from Westerville, so my journey is almost done. I have an apartment right near campus. My roommate and I were adopted by a stray cat when we moved in so now we have Buttons to take care of as well as ourselves. And… I think that’s everything.”

Kurt loved hearing him speak – it felt right, somehow, like he could listen forever. There was one thing Kurt needed to know, and Blaine didn’t seem to be offering answers up willingly.

“Can I ask something? And I get if it’s too much or whatever, but… the girl.”

“The girl?” Blaine asked, frowning.

“Yeah,” Kurt said. “On the bus, when I first read your mind, it was something about a girl being really hot.”

“Oh,” Blaine said, ducking his head to hide his blush. “I’m bi. And she was.”

Kurt nodded, unable to help laughing a little at his shy confession. “I’m gay, and I’ll take your word for it.”

*

They stayed there for hours, ordering more drinks and food until they were full and laughing. Two o’clock arrived far too quickly and, soon after, they reluctantly left to make sure Kurt was in time for his bus. Out on the freezing street, Blaine nudged a gloved hand sheepishly against Kurt’s and he took hold of it, lacing their fingers tightly together, warmth radiating even through two layers of wool. At the stop, they sat pressed together on a cold metal bench and swapped contact details – phone numbers were stored, facebook friend requests sent, email addresses saved. Kurt briefly considered how difficult it must have been to find your soulmate before the advent of technology, even more a game of chance than it was now.

They stood when the bus pulled into the gate and a line started to form. Blaine held both Kurt’s hands in his, reluctant to let him go. The line started to move and Kurt’s stomach twisted with nerves as he leaned in and then he was kissing Blaine, deep and open and warm. His arms rested loosely around Blaine’s neck and he felt Blaine’s hands splayed wide across his lower back, pressing their bodies together like they might melt into one.

“I’ll see you soon,” Kurt whispered hoarsely when they separated.

“Soon,” Blaine said. “Lima isn’t far from Westerville.”

“Not as far as New York and Pittsburgh.”

“We’ll work it out,” Blaine said, kissing Kurt again softly to stop him from frowning. “I promise.”

Kurt nodded silently, picked up his bag from the ground, and turned to join the line. He didn’t look back until his luggage was safely stored and he was about to climb the steep steps into the bus. Blaine was still there, watching, and gave him a small wave. Kurt raised his hand in response and started to board.

_God, he’s cute._


End file.
